Sabotaged
by Kanan
Summary: The Ronin Warriors are up against a new enemy, and after a quick battle, they saunter on home to rest. But the trouble may not be over just yet. They are now up against an angry soul out for revenge, a curse, and their own selfdoubt.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ronin Warriors. But, WOW! I'm sure on a roll with these stories, ne?

----

Normal day, normal life… for a ronin warrior.

"Ah!"

Rowen let out a gasp as he was pushed back, hitting the ground very hard. There was a dark sorcerer in dark green armor, and he had been stalking the ronins for two weeks before this encounter. He was a warrior of nature, that was angry at man for destroying it. He wanted revenge, and so he used his influence to try and get revenge. His anger turned nature evil. So far, Rowen was knocked down, Sage was barely standing, Kento was being held high in the air and Cye was tied to a tree in the vast forest they were fighting in. Ryo was missing in action. The dark warrior laughed as he held Kento even higher off the ground by his neck, causing him to gag and choke.

"Kento! Let him go right now!"

"He heh heh heh heh…"

"Stop it! Yer' killing 'im!"

"Pathetic…"

The warrior looked back to Cye, and with his glance, the vines around him tightened, ripping a scream from his throat.

"Cye! Kento!"

"You monster!"

"Is this what you call a battle? I swear, you are nothing on your own."

"Shut up! Ryo will find us soon!"

"Sure he will…"

"He will! Ryo has never failed us before!"

Sage tried to get up, but the intense pain in his leg kept him down. Rowen was injured, also, and he crawled over to Sage. Both watched as Kento's eyes started to flutter closed and Cye fought hopelessly against his restraints. This guy was sick. As he killed one of their friends, the other were injured and immobile, making them have to watch their companion die. Sage closed his eyes and hoped with all his might.

"Guys!"

Gasping, everyone turned around and saw their leader, Ryo, and White Blaze running up. The warrior of nature looked up, and then, while he was distracted, Rowen had time to grab his bow and shoot an arrow at their attacker. Hs wasn't aiming for a vital spot; instead, the arrow flew and pierced the warrior's arm, showing all the way though. He yelled and released his grip on hard rock's neck. Kento hid the ground and instinctively turned onto his side as he drew in deep gulps of air. The enemy held his arm, but Kento was still nearby. He tried to grab for him again, as it gave him an edge, but White Blaze jumped out and stood in-between them, guarding the down soldier. The enemy stepped back, and that's when Kento started to get up, using the white tiger as a brace.

"Kento, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine! Help Cye!"

"Right!"

"I don't think so! I wont let you get the better of me!"

The warrior moved towards Ryo, and the two clashed swords. The enemy's sword was made of enchanted, petrified wood and a silvery blade. But almost the moment the two swords came together, there was a bright light. The light was blinding, and the moment he was able to open his eyes, he gasped, as he saw his sword catch fire. Immediately, he dropped it, and watched as it burnt down to nothing but magic.

"How can this be!"

"I am a warrior of fire, and you are a demon of nature turned black! I will be the one to cleanse your darkness and save the nature you have twisted!"

"Never!"

Even though he didn't have his sword, he was still able to call upon the wild vines to aid him. A large group of them burrowed underground, coming out just under Ryo's feet. He jumped to avoid them, but more came from the left. He kept dodging them, and White Blaze could not leave to help, for he had the task of protecting the wounded others. As the dark being toyed with Ryo, he was also tightening Cye's restraints, making it even worse. And then, Ryo was surrounded. The vines were trapping him in a spherical prison. That's when he heard Cye's yells.

"Cye!"

Ryo summoned his fires into one of his swords and sliced though the vines. His power was strong enough that it made it to Cye, cutting his restraints. As Cye was freed, he snuck behind the tree that held him captive, knowing that the enemy had not seen his escape. He watched from there as the vines holding his leader captive burned and fell to the ground as ashes. By now, the enemy was both furious and terrified. He could handle water, and dominate over rock, could mask the light, and defeat the mighty sky, but fire was the worst possible match for him. He knew what he had to do.

He turned and ran. He didn't get far, however, as Cye jumped out from his hiding spot and grabbed him from behind. He held him in place. As Ryo moved over I front of the two.

"Can you hold him still for a few more seconds, Cye?"

"I will hold on however long I need to!"

"No! Please, no! You can't do this to me!"

"Too bad! Flare…up…"

NOO! I swear you'll pay, you brats!"

"NOW!"

He screamed, and Kento tackled Cye out of the way just in time to avoid being hit. The enemy wasn't as lucky, however, as he received the blunt of the attack, and vanished in black flames. Ryo went around to check on each of them before getting them on their feet for the slow, but safe journey back through the woods and into the mansion, where Mia was waiting for them. As they faded out into the distance, in the place where the warrior once stood, a burnt seed lay, glowing.

"You may have won this round, but now, as you leave, a curse I place upon the souls of wildfire and torrent. What you deemed your greatest asset will be your downfall. Ha ha ha ha ha…


	2. Chapter 2

For the next two days, all the ronins did was sit around in the living room. Kento was extremely sore, and the others were just wiped out. Cye was the only one who managed to stay active without feeling terrible. He ran around the house helping anyone who needed it. He helped wash White Blaze, cooked meals, and cleaned. However, what he didn't show was that at the end of the day, he was wasted. After Kento had fallen asleep, he would quietly saunter in and collapse on his bed, not even bothering to change or get under the covers. What he didn't know was that Kento usually wasn't asleep, and he, or one of the other guys would come in and get him bed ready. Funny thing was, he never caught on, even when he awoke the next morning.

On the third day, Cye didn't come down when the others did. Mia was packed and ready to go to the airport. She was summoned to a university on another island, and she had to leave by 9 AM. Before going downstairs, she checked up on him. Cye was passed out beyond waking abilities; he was laying on his stomach, with one leg uncovered, the rest of the blanket spooled around his waist, and one of his arms hanging off the bed. She contained a giggle and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Cye stirred and sighed, making Mia giggle again. She closed the door and went down to say goodbye to the others. Surprisingly enough, Rowen was up, too, but his hair was a mess, and he was still in his sleep attire.

"We hops you have a safe trip, Mia."

"I will."

"We'll miss you a lot!"

All f them nodded, except for Rowen, who was rubbing at his tired eyes. Ryo smiled.

"Rowen will miss you too!"

"I'm glad!"

"Man, it's too bad Cye isn't up to say farewell!"

"Oh, I went up to check on him a few moments ago. The poor thing looked exhausted! Promise me you'll get him to take it easy today."

"We will."

Then, Ryo walked up close to Mia and they shared a long kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she looped hers around his neck. Alas, the transport bus was right outside waiting for her, and she had to leave the warmth of Ryo's embrace. She would long for the end of her trip, so she could return to the home she has built with her friends. With a final wave, she closed the door and left. Ryo stood at the door watching as the transport bus disappeared over the hill.

Cye awoke two hours later, and gasped as he saw the time on the clock. He hurriedly got showered and dressed, and ran down the stairs. He tripped, but Kento was just coming up, and caught him around the waist.

"Kento!"

"Good morning, sleepy head! I was just coming up to complain about breakfast!"

"Oh, really? I'm sorry about that!"

Kento let Cye go, and they both walked down the stairs. Sage was sitting on the armchair reading a book, Rowen was in the bathroom, and Ryo was rolling around on the floor, trying to pry White Blaze off of him. Cye tried his hardest to hold in a laugh, and then he saw Sage wave.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm sorry I woke up so late! I'll go make brunch now!"

Ryo looked up from the floor behind the couch, having temporarily given up on prying the tiger off him.

"What's the rush? I mean, you just got up, Cye!"

"Yes, but you all must be terribly hungry, right?"

"I'm fine."

"I can last a while on just coffee."

Then Cye turned to Kento, who was beginning to understand why the others were refusing such good food. Cye turned his head, and Kento let out a big sigh.

"I could wait for noon."

Cye almost fell down.

"What is going on here? When Kento refuses food, especially MY food, there's definitely something up!"

"No, nothing's up!"

Cye threw a glare at his leader. Sage saved him.

"You've just been working so hard lately, we thought you could use a break. Mia asked us to, also."

"Oh, I see where this is going… Really, guys, I'm fine! I'm not overdoing it!"

"Oh? And that's why you collapse every night and sleep in longer than usual?"

"I, uh…"

"Look, you need some time to rest!"

"Oh, nonsense!"

"Sage is right, man! You could use a day of rest and relaxation!"

Cye turned around and stared at Kento with his hands on his hips.

"Whose side are you on?"

"We're all on your side, Cye."

White Blaze was lying on the rug by the fireplace now, off of Ryo, and the warrior of wildfire was walking towards him. Ryo set his hands on Cye's shoulders and spoke in a strict, but sincere tone.

"We're worried about you. We know you're strong, but everyone needs a rest now and then."

"I know that, but…"

"Please? Even if you just rest for an hour, it would be good for you."

Eventually, Cye gave in. An hour later, he and Ryo were outside, meditating. They could sense that Sage was doing the same inside, but they understood that he liked his peace and privacy while doing so. The two were completely silent as they sat across from each other in silence. They were keeping their minds blank, but every time they tried to silence their minds, they would sense something sinister. They were in sync (no pun intended) with each other, and together they sensed it as something came near them. They couldn't sense exactly what it was, but as their minds listened for the incoming being, they started to reach for their armor orbs. Ryo had his when the entity was right behind him, and he opened his eyes and held out the orb at whoever it was coming up behind him.

"Armor of wildfi-"

He didn't get to finish his call, as a big, white tiger pounced on him. Once again, he was knocked to the ground, letting out a little shriek. Cye jumped, but then broke out laughing. Ryo was struggling t get free from the affectionate tiger, and White Blaze kept thinking he wanted to play.

"Blaze! Hey, get offa' me already! Geeze!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Ryo managed to wrestle the tiger off, and he sat up as White Blaze lied down next to him, purring like mad and nuzzling his side.

"Silly tiger… you scared the living daylights out of me, you know!"

"True…I actually thought there was another enemy there, also! I'm relieved to know it was only White Blaze!"

"Yeah…"

That's when Cye looked at his watch.

"Oh! It's already been an hour and a half!"

"Has it? Time flew by really quickly…"

"No kidding! I'd better get inside and start on lunch."

Cye got up and started towards the house, but he stopped when Ryo called his name. He looked back to see Ryo leaning around the tiger to see him. He was smiling.

"Thanks… for taking a break when I know you didn't want to."

"No, I should thank you, for making me! I feel much better!"

"Good!"

Inside, Sage was doing what the others thought he was- meditating in silence. Sage often went to his room to do this, but there was something peaceful about the quiet living room that made him decide to do it there. Aside from that, he and Rowen shared a room upstairs, which was located next to Kento and Cye's, and the two were currently playing a rather loud video game there.

As Sage sat and relaxed, very slowly, he sensed uneasiness in his friends outside. Shortly after it passed them, it seemed to come towards him. In his mind, he had a very vivid picture of a shadow in black and green entering the house. The image stopped right next to Sage, and it watched as sweat rolled down the ronin's brow. Sage tried to put a face to the intruding spirit, but he couldn't form one. The evil was so strong, he could not see through it. That thought disturbed him. He was usually so level-headed… Then, as he struggled to regain 'consciousness', the figure moved on. Sage lost his concentration as Ryo and Cye came stumbling in the house, laughing like mad over the freaky events that had taken place. Smiling, and temporarily ignoring his uneasy feeling, Sage turned to the two.

"How did the meditation go?"

"Great!"

"Did anything happen?"

"Well, we thought we sensed something, but it turned out to be just White Blaze, sneaking up on us!"

"Oh, I see! From the sounds of it, you had a blast."

"Yeah, we had our fun…! Now, if you don't mind, I need to get lunch started!"

"No, we wouldn't want Kento to starve, now would we?"

Ryo was laughing as he passed where Sage was sitting cross-legged on the couch, but when he looked over, he saw the uncertain expression.

"What's wrong, Sage? Didn't your meditation go well?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm going to take a look around, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, okay."

"Ryo! Why don't you go get cleaned up and rouse the other two?"

"Okay, okay… wow, Cye can be bossy when it comes to his cooking!"

"I heard that, Ryo…!"

"Uh-oh! I'd better run!"

Ryo laughed and ran up the stairs, and Sage could imagine Cye in the kitchen, waving a frying pan around. He let out a small laugh before beginning to focus again.

Kento was losing to Rowen in the games, and for the umpteenth time, he groaned in defeat. However, Ryo was in the doorway just in time to see the final blow on a mortal combat game.

"Ha! I beat you every time when we play this, Kento! Why don't you give up, already?"

"No way! I'll beat you somehow! Lets play again!"

"Ha ha!"

"Well, here's a warning, you two… Cye is making lunch! I estimate it will be ready in about twenty minutes!"

"Oh, yay!"

Kento abandoned his video game and jumped off his bed, pushing past Ryo to get to the living room and then the kitchen. Rowen took his time in getting the Playstation equipment together, and then doing a secret handshake with Ryo before going down to sit in the backyard for a while. It was his usual routine during that time of the day, and his usual meditation spot. After his friends faded from sight, Ryo went down the hall to his and Mia's room to freshen up. They were deep in a relationship, but they chose to have two separate beds for the time being. Though, one of them would usually sneak into the others' bed to snuggle.

Ryo smiled at the thought of holding Mia close to him, and sighed, knowing that he would be a little colder for the week and a half that she would be gone. Though, when he was lonely as a kid, Ryo would often go and sleep next to White Blaze. The tiger was one of his closest friends, and would never let him down. When in his room, Ryo closed the door and turned the light on. The room was big enough to house four, like the others, but it was well furnished. It had two beds, a desk, two dressers, its own bathroom, and a balcony and a bench on it.

The raven haired boy, after staring at a few of the group pictures on the desks, looked back at the door and saw his reflection in the mirror hanging there. He smiled, shy at seeing himself. He was handsome. No one would deny that, but he was still a bit modest when it came to his looks. Shaking his head, Ryo removed his shirt. Once it was off, he realized just how warm he had gotten from sitting outside for so long, and tossed the garment on his bed, to be put in the hamper later in the evening. Ryo wasn't neat, when he didn't have to be.

Just as he was about to retrieve another shirt, he glanced back up at the mirror on the door, and saw a dark shadow standing behind him. Ryo quickly turned around, facing the open window, and nothing. He was about to dismiss it as a hallucination until a dark figure with burning green eyes appeared right in front of him. He only had a second to take a step back before his face collided with the top of his writing desk. Somehow, in the split second Ryo was off guard, the intruder had managed to get behind him, roughly fold the boy's arms behind his back and slam him into the desk.

Once he registered this possibility, he tried to push back on his captor, but he wasn't giving in. Ryo could feel the hard wood, and a pen on top that his face was being pushed down against.

"W-who are you? What do you want!"

There was no answer. Ryo had been taken off guard, but he was not weak. He summoned the strength to push himself and his attacker back, getting free for only a moment before the intruder got behind him again and, once again, pinned his arms behind his back. This time, however, he was pushed into the mirror, shattering it. the glass cut into the skin on his cheek, and it fell to the floor about Ryo's feet. H had to tread softly, as he was not wearing shoes. Again, Ryo tried to talk to his attacker.

"Tell me who you are!"

"…"

"Tell me or I'll be forced to attack you without mercy."

"You can't hurt me, little fire…"

Ryo could feel the attacker get close to his ear. That's when he felt the cold of an armor suit press against his bare back, and he shuddered, feeling cold breath by his ear.

"You've already done as much damage as you could. Now, it's my turn."

"What?"

"I hope you said goodbye."

Ryo was released, but then hit on the back of his head, Ryo's body fell to the floor with a dull thud. He hit his head, and as he faded out of the conscious world, he was troubled by the disturbingly familiar voice that had spoken to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Only five minutes had passes since Ryo left, but the only thing any of the boys downstairs heard of him was the few loud thumps on the floor. Kento looked up from his spot on the couch and stared at the ceiling.

"What could Ryo be doing up there? I mean, how hard is it to get changed?"

"He probably just tripped or something."

No…Sage knew that wasn't it. He could sense something sinister in the air, and he feared for Ryo. Then again, he had been really stressed after the fight, and was probably imagining things. If Ryo was in trouble, as he thought, he would sense it, and the others would be up there in a flash. With his mind a little more at ease, Sage settles back into a trance-like state to continue his meditation. He quieted his mind and projected his spirit out around the house. Right outside, Rowen was asleep on the grass, White Blaze had run off somewhere, and Kento was next to him on the couch. However, he could now tell that there was something wrong with Ryo. He was oddly quiet, and yet his mind was ablaze with questions and concern. The second thing he noticed was Cye in the kitchen. Something wasn't right, and as Sage concentrated harder, he could just barely sense evil amiss. He tried to awaken from his trance, but again, something was keeping him from awakening.

Mia's kitchen was huge compared to kitchens in normal houses. It could comfortably fit five people cooking there with plenty of space for each. However, Cye didn't mind the space. Sure, it took longer to get the ingredients together, but it was also convenient, considering how many people he had to cook for. He was getting the last of the ingredients to make a large gourmet lunch when a dark omen entered. Without Cye noticing, it went to the gas valve hidden in the corner by the sink and switched it on. Slowly, methane gas filled the room. On his way to the fridge, Cye stopped and held his head. He felt oddly dizzy and tired. But, instead of investigating, he brushed it off, blaming it on his exhaustion from working so hard. Sage was afraid now. He couldn't wake up, and he foresaw terrible things happening to the water bearer. He tried to reach him with his mind, but he answered too late. Cye was setting a pot of water on the stove.

/Cye/

\Huh? Sage, is that you?\

/Yes/

\Oh, hi! I'm not ready with lunch yet, if that's what you want to know!\

/That's not it! Listen, you have tog et out here, quick/

\You sense something? Okay, I'll be right out! I just need to set the water to boil, and-\

That was a big mistake. As soon as Cye switched the stove on, Sage awoke in the living room. His yell was drowned out by the large explosion from the kitchen. He and Kento were thrown back off the couch, and he apparently lost consciousness. He awoke a moment later to Rowen shaking him.

"Sage? What happened?"

"H-he's back…"

Was all he could choke out. Sage hurt all over, and he needed a helping hand to stand up. Kento was getting up also, and then, all eyes were on the kitchen door, which was engulfed in flames.

"Cye…"

"We have to get in there!"

"Then lets go!"

"No, wait!"

They looked at Sage.

"It was him! We can't all go rushing in there and hope for the best! Rowen, go out to the shed and get together all the fire extinguishers you can find! Kento, go find Ryo!"

"Oh, yeah! Ryo can get rid of these flames right away!"

Rowen didn't have to ask what Sage was going to do, for the blonde was already rolling up his sleeves.

"Wait, shouldn't Kento go in there?"

"Yeah! I want to!"

"But I can handle hot places easier than he can! Just go!"

With that, the blonde ran through the door and into the kitchen. The flames were hotter than he expected. They nipped at his skin, and made his body shudder. He had barely been in there a minute and he was already hacking and sweating. Just imagine if Kento had gone in… Sage pushed that thought away, and slowly walked around the kitchen. It was barely recognizable, he had trouble finding the stove area. When he finally got there, he was more than shocked. The whole stove had exploded, and lay in burnt pieces on the burning tiled floor. To his left, Sage saw the counter. It was burnt and broken also, but the most disturbing thing was the trail of blood on the floor, and some on the counter.

He was becoming more worried by the second. He could hardly remain calm as he followed the blood around the corner where a crispy figure lay sprawled on the floor on his stomach. Cye wasn't moving.

"Cye!"

Sage went to him, and rolled the boy on his back, keeping his head on his lap. Cye's eyes were closed and he had several cuts on his face. There were more on his arms, though, signifying that he had used his arms to shield his face was best he could. His shirt was burnt against his skin, and his breath came out in ragged, painful puffs. The worst of the damage done, however, were the severe burns on the boy's legs. Sage reached out to touch the bleeding burns, but he received a loud and pain-filled reaction from the boy on his lap.

"Oh, Cye… hey! Cye, don't die, man…!"

"M-mm…"

"He doesn't look so good… Where on earth is Ryo?"

While Rowen had no trouble finding the fire extinguisher, Kento was having trouble, finding Ryo. He checked the bathrooms, and closets and outside, and then he remembered the noise he and Sage heard coming from his room. Smacking himself on the head, Kento ran past the fire to the staircase. It was spreading, and neither Sage nor Cye had made it out of the kitchen.

Throwing open Ryo's door, he found their leader tied up on the floor with a gag over his mouth and no shirt on.

"Ryo!"

"Kento took out his pocket knife and cut the restraints holding the raven haired boy down. As Ryo stood back up, Kento went to his drawr to find him a shirt. Ryo could see how worried he was.

"What's happening down there? I heard something like an explosion!"

"It was exactly what it sounded like! Something blew up in the kitchen!"

"Oh my god… is everyone all right!"

"We don't know! Sage ran in to get Cye, and Rowen has a fire extinguisher!"

"That wont last for very long!"

Ryo ran to his dresser and pulled out his armor orb. After putting his shirt back on, the two ran down the now-burning staircase to meet Rowen. He had two extinguishers, and was looking paler by the second. Kento grabbed his shoulders.

"Have they come out!"

"No…"

"Okay, lets go!"

"What?"

"Just get me far enough inside, and I'll take care of those flames!"

Rowen nodded and passed one of the extinguishers to Kento. The three of them entered the flaming room. It was very hot, and if that wasn't bad enough, the further they went in, the more heat was attracted to them. Maybe it was because of Ryo, being the warrior of fire and flame. Soon, about midway in, Rowen stopped. Kento was still spraying the contents of the container on the fire, trying to ignore what was bothering the other.

"This is as far as we can go!"

"Okay… Stay behind me, guys!"

The two stepped aside, and that's when Ryo took out the orb. In response to the intense heat, it glowed bright red, and Ryo closed his eyes. Soon, he was glowing in the same color, and his eyes were filled with fire. With an intake of breath, Ryo put all of his power into the orb, and a great wind surrounded all three of them. The orb was pulling the fore into it, and Ryo seemed to be feeling some of the burn, but the other two were protected. In no time, the fire cleared, and the group saw the extent of the damage. The stove was practically gone, counters were broken and burnt, the ceiling was black and so was the floor. Then, they could see Sage and Cye. Once the fire was gone, Ryo fell to his knees, and Rowen helped him to his feet. Kento threw down his empty fire extinguisher and ran to Sage. He reached out to touch Cye's unmoving body, but Sage twitched, making him stop dead.

Sage wasn't looking hot, either. His hair was slightly burnt, and his clothes had holes in them. Kento was afraid to speak, fearing the worst. Sage seemed to be okay, but the fact that he was so silent really scared him. If he hadn't seen the rough rise and fall of his best friends' chest, he would have thought Cye for dead.

"Sage… are you two okay?"

Kento looked back as Ryo and Rowen came close. That's when Sage looked up, and shook his head. He stood up on shaky legs, carrying Cye gently in his arms.

"He needs to get in the water."

"Right. We'll get that set up right away."

As Sage walked past, Kento offered to take Cye from him, he refused to let Kento even touch him. When he asked why, Sage just turned stopped.

"You don't know how to be gentle with him… not now."

Kento was crushed. He didn't know what to think or say, and he was the last one left in the kitchen as the others went upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn't know how to be gentle with him? Kento wondered what Sage had meant by that. Kento was still standing in the kitchen looking at his hands. They were red from holding onto the fire extinguisher in the flames, and shaking harder than before. He wanted to help… he NEEDED to make sure his best friend would be okay… but he wasn't allowed to touch him? Kento started to hate his hands, not fully understanding what Sage had meant. He hated his hands…wished he has been born with none, almost.

That's when Rowen touched him on the shoulder. As he looked into equally worried blue eyes, he forgot the hatred of his hands, and with a gentle nudge, they both followed the path that the others had taken into the bathroom. Ryo and Sage were lowering Cye into the tub when they walked in. It was half-filled with lukewarm water, and all of Cye's body was submerged, with the exception of his head. Ryo was holding the unconscious boy's head above the water as sage removed the water bearer's shirt. Removing his pants to get to his wounds was more difficult, however, as some pieces had been burnt onto his skin. Kento began to feel nauseous as he watched the blood flow freely from the woun, staining the water, as Sage searched for a pair of scissors. He would have fallen over if Rowen hadn't been by his side to steady him. In reality, he wanted to faint. He hated to have to see his best friend in such a state.

Again, he almost fell, but this time, Ryo instructed him to be taken out of the bathroom. Rowen led Kento into his and Cye's room and helped him to sit on the bed. Once he was sure the other wouldn't fall off and hit the floor, he left to find a phone. As soon as he was gone, Kento lay back on his bed with his hands over his face hard, pressing onto the sensitive skin of his forehead. He tried to compress the numerous sobs, but after a while, he couldn't, and they came out loud and choked.

"Cye…!"

In the bathroom, Sage had found the scissors and had started cutting the pieces of burnt jeans away from the boy's skin. Whenever the cold metal touched his skin, Cye would hiss and try to jerk away. This made Ryo's job very difficult. Soon, Sage had to pull the scisors away and help Ryo stop the thrashing Cye. Within minutes, all three ronins were soaked to the bone.

"Cye, calm down, man! You're just gonna hurt yourself more!"

"Cye!"

In his pained sleep, from which he couldn't fully awake, Cye was able to mutter only a few words.

"I-it hurts…Kento…!"

Tears were forming in his eyes as he continued to bleed out into the once-white porcelain tub. Cye was crying out for his best friend, and only seconds later did the two hear Kento's sobs from the next room. They could feel each other's pain, but neither of them could do a thing about it. Ryo understood this as he leaned down and hugged Cye. He cradled the boy's head and stroked his hair, making hushing noises. Cye's whimpers lessoned, and his body calmed mostly, so Sage could continue his work. He still shuddered when the scissors came too close to an open and bleeding burn, but Ryo's ministrations were enough to get him through it. It was about the time that Sage was running a cool sponge over his legs that Cye's eyes opened halfway. He appeared to be numb, as the contact didn't hurt him.

Cye's vision was hazy. He could see the end of the tub, and his battered legs, and began to feel sick. Then, he saw two hands, diligently trying to get him cleaned. Soon, a blonde head came into view, but hadn't noticed his awakening. Some of his feeling returned, and he registered that he was sitting underwater, which he found comforting, and that a warm towel had been placed behind his neck. The warmth coming off it was an unusual change from the almost cold water. The last thing he noticed was the soft, gentle hand across his shoulders and another smoothing out his hair. This person holding him was one great source of warmth. He used most of his strength to turn his head to the side, where he saw the raven-haired leader of their group looking sympathetically, yet sadly, at him.

"Cye."

"Ryo…"

Cye moved to look back down at the other side of the tub, where Sage was now looking at him.

"A-and Sage…"

"Glad to see you still remember us. How do you feel?"

Cye didn't have the strength to answer, and his eyes fell closed once again. He remained in a partly conscious state for a few minutes, when he felt a new hand fall over his forehead. He shivered, as the hand felt very cold, compared to the other hands holding him.

"He's running a fever."

"Right. Lets get this done here quick."

"Right."

"Hold on, Cye…"

Then the world went black and cold.


	5. Chapter 5

Cye felt dizzy and lightheaded all of a sudden. One minute, he was warmer than a day in the sahara desert, and the next, he felt like an ice berg. He was shivering, nonetheless. Whether he was hot or cold, it didn't matter. He could hardly keep still. His legs burned, and the bandages were awful. They itched, and hurt and overall were uncomfortable. Then, he felt hot and cold at the same time. All of the bit of him that hurt began to ache even more, and Cye thought he would go insane.

All of a sudden, it felt like a weight had been lifted. The cold went away, and the heat settled into welcome warmth. That's when Cye could finally find the strength to open his eyes once again. This time, he wasn't in the bathroom. The walls were a light color, not actually white, but close enough to compare. He was up to his neck in comforter, and he could feel something cold against his neck. Maybe an ice pack. He remembered that when he was young and had a fever, his dad would put an ice pack there behind his neck when he slept. But, who else knew that? Cye knew his father couldn't have been there, so he turned his head to see a slouching figure seated in a chair by his bed.

It was Kento. Though their beds were close together, Kento chose the uncomfortable chair? Ye found he still couldn't move, especially with the heavy comforter on top of him, so he settled for staring at his best friend. The other ronin's head was down, and he thought him to be asleep. But then, someone knocked on the door, and Kento jerked, revealing he was awake. But then, why was his head down? Why could Cye feel a deep and heavy sorrow fall over his dear friend? This sorrow was weighing them both down. Not sure why, but Cye closed his eyes again as the door slowly opened, feigning sleep. From the sound of the new voice, it was Rowen who entered. The clattering of silverware and dishes caught his attention, but confused the wounded ronin.

"Kento…?"

"…"

"I know you can hear me, Kento."

Cye and Rowen both could tell that Kento wasn't asleep, but then, why didn't he answer the others' calls? Rowen let out a deep sigh.

"Kento, this is ridiculous… Cye isn't going to want to wake up to see you like this. Can't you see you'd only hurt him?"

"…"

Kento's head only fell lower. Rowen sighed, and tried again.

"What I mean to say… you're not doing any good by just sitting here and moping. Cye will wake up when he's ready!"

"And what if he NEVER wakes up, Ro?"

"Kento… come now, don't be silly! You heard Sage… Cye just needs rest now! He's not going to die!"

"But what about a coma? HUH? You didn't think he might go into one of those, DID you!"

"…"

"…I want to help him… give him my strength, my energy… but I can't… I can't do anything… but sit here. So, that's what I'm doing."

"…Well… I guess I can't argue with that. You could at least come down to eat something. It's been almost three days, and you haven't left this room."

"I don't feel like eating right now…"

This shocked Cye. Kento? Not wanting to EAT? Three days! This almost made him give up his act, but what Rowen said next made him feel a little bit better.

"I figured you'd say that, so I brought you up some."

"Thanks, Ro… I'd have starved on the first day if it weren't for you."

"No problem. You just keep an eyes on water boy over there…"

"Right."

And Rowen left. He was glad that Rowen was there to help, and if he could have just awaken sooner, Kento probably wouldn't have been in a funk. Thinking Kento would be scarfing down food by then, Cye opened his eyes, only to see Kento return to the way he was when he first woke up. Cye was sadder now. How could he help his friend? He needed him, and just when he was about to speak, Kento spoke.

"Cye…"

Cye quickly closed his eyes again, and when there was silence, he wondered if he'd been caught.

"Cye…"

He almost jumped as Kento touched his hand. His touch was soft and gentle, and insecure.

"I'm sorry, man… I should have been in that kitchen, not you. If I had kept my senses open, I would have known something was up, and we would have gotten you out of there before it blew!"

Kento's grip on Cye's hand tightened a lot as the other continued to degrade himself over the incident. Cye wanted to open his eyes and tell Kento he was okay, but his legs were starting to hurt again, and Kento's grip was hurting his hand, too. Soon, he felt like giving up the act, but just before he could, he felt several droplets of water fall onto the hand that Kento had suddenly let go of. Cye opened his eyes to find his best friend hiding his head in his arms as he sit hunched over by the bed. Kento was crying.

"Cye, I'm sorry…! I said I would protect you, and I've failed you twice already! Please forgive me…"

Cye gently smiled and grabbed Kento's hand, which was moving away from his own. Cye held it and squeezed weakly, causing Kento's tear-streaked face to lift and stare at him. The moment his head went up, Cye's other hand outstretched to wipe his friend's tears away. Kento was frozen in shock.

"There is nothing to forgive, Kento."

"Cye!"

Kento broke out of his stupor and rose from his chair. He grabbed Cye's hand and cried some more. The pressure on his hand was hurting him again, and he tried to shift so he could sit up.

"Easy there, big fella…"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry…!"

Kento loosened his grip, and then he pulled his seat closer to Cye's bed, still holding hid hands. Cye tried to sit up, but didn't make it that far and laid back down. He groaned at the movement and Kento got worried. He laid his hand over his friend's forehead, and wet a washcloth that had been set on the nightstand. He wrung it out and dabbed it on Cye's flushed face.

"That's better…"

"I bet. You've been out with a fever for some time."

"Oh, really now?"

Cye tried to act like he didn't know, and resisted the urge to laugh.

"Yeah. You scared the crap outta me, man!"

Kento wet the cloth again and set it over Cye's forehead. Though the others' voice expressed relief and joy, the expression on his face was still sad. Cye returned the look, and then a smile.

"I'm sorry, Kento."

"What are YOU sorry about? You're the victim here!"

"But I must have worried everyone half to death… I should have been paying more attention."

"No, you couldn't have known! This isn't your fault…"

Kento held onto his hand again, and brought it to his head.

"And it's not YOURS, either."

"Huh?"

"I heard you. This wasn't your fault…and like you said, none of us could have known this would happen! It was just some freak accident!"

Kento was about to break into tears again, but when Cye smiled, he did also. He leaned in and hugged his friend. Cye managed to shift around enough to weakly return the affection.

"There, there, Kento… I'm okay now."

"I'm hella glad, Cye!"

Then, there was a soft rapping on the door, and three smiling faces glanced in. Cye's smile grew, and Kento let go of him, and helped him into a sitting position as the others file in.

"I thought I heard more talking in here than usual…!"

"HA ha… wise guy."

Cye laughed softly. He was still very tired, but he felt better knowing all of his close friends were there with him. Ryo and Rowen sat on Kento's bed, and Sage took a seat on the other side of Cye's bed. He reached over and checked Cye's pulse and then felt to see if the cloth had been replaced.

"It appears that everything is in order."

"DUH. I know how to take care of sick people, too, Sage!"

"I never said you didn't."

"No, but I bet you were implying that you did it better…"

"Maybe I was."

"Huh? Oh, so that's how you want it, huh?"

Kento leaned over Cye's legs and tried to get to Age. Sage leaned over to meet him, and they had a brief wrestling match. Cye laughed and used a small amount of his energy to pry them off of each other.

"Oh, you two…!"

Though he was laughing, the scuffle had taken a lot out of him. Ryo snappe his fingers and Rowen shook his head.

"Come on, guys… lets not overwhelm Cye. Remember, he just got up from a three-day nap!"

The other two nodded and Cye settled down in his bed a little.

"Has it really been that long?"

"It seemed like longer to us, bro."

"When we got you cleaned up and in bed, we thought you would recover quickly enough… but then your fever got worse."

"Really…"

Cye didn't look happy. He slumped down more, but Sage spoke up.

"But your buddy Kento here didn't leave your side for even a moment."

"Well, except to use the bathroom, of course."

Kento blushed. It was a funny sight, indeed and they all had a good laugh. However, Cye felt even more drained and warm again, and that's when he began to feel very uncomfortable. He groaned, and Sage set a hand on his knee, very gently.

"Are you okay?"

"My legs… they feel very strange to me."

"That's not surprising."

"Sage, I think it's time to change the bandages."

"I agree, Ryo. Rowen?"

"I'm on it."

Rowen and Ryo got up from Kento's bed, and before Cye knew what was happening, Rowen was lifting the end of his blanket up in a way that his legs were uncovered, and quickly getting cold, but he couldn't see around it. Sage and Ryo disappeared behind the blanket. Cye tried to twist around to see, but Rowen kept moving the blanket in his view.

"Hey! W-what's going on? I want to see!"

"No can do."

"What?"

"Trust me, you don't need to see this. It's for your own good."

Rowen could hardly stand the sight of it. Cye was frantic now, and he kept trying to see. Kento set his hands on Cye's arm, trying to get him to calm down, but it only succeeded in making him more worried.

"Kento, stop! Let me see! I want to see my legs! I want to see them!"

"Cye, calm down! Please, calm down?"

"No! Let me see, damn it!"

That did it. Cye had shifted in such a way that cause pain to go down both of his legs. It made Sage's and Ryo's patch job difficult. Cye could only partially compress the painful yell that came next. Cye hugged his torsos he tried to get his breath, but he intended to continue the fight again. Kento took that change to latch onto him, hugging him so not only the blanket was in his way, so was his best friend. Kento was always stronger than Cye, and in his weakened state, he stood even less of a chance at getting free. He struggled a little bit before settling against Kento and felling silent.

After a moment of just shivering in silence, a sob broke free from Cye's throat. Kento loosened his hold, but still not enough for Cye to hope to escape. But no, the other had given up that fight, and resigned for crying. Eventually, he let his hands free and Cye brought them up and wiped away some of his tears. They just wouldn't stop coming.

"Why are you doing this…?"

"I'm sorry, Cye, but you don't need to see it. It would only make you feel sick."

"I can't even feel my legs… what if they're cutting them off? I don't want that."

"Well, who does?"

"Kento, how will I swim without my legs…? How will I walk around and cook and clean, and-"

Kento set a hand over Cye's mouth and shook his head.

"If that's what you're worried about, I'll make you a deal. You have to lay back and stay still, and I'll make sure they don't cut off your legs. I'll tell you exactly what they're doing, okay?"

"A-are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Kento's smile fell only a little as Rowen let him take a peek behind the blanket. Cye waited impatiently and sorrowfully as Kento took his time in checking out the situation. After a minute of waiting, Cye tried to sit up, but because Kento had the forethought to set a hand on his chest, Cye didn't get far. With a shaky voice, he lay back down.

"H-how is it?"

"Um… well, it's better than the first time I saw it!"

That didn't make him feel any better. Cye groaned and rolled his head to the side.

"Kento…"

Tears started to form in his eyes, and Rowen scolded him for saying such a thing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't worry Cye, your legs are still there!"

"What are they doing?"

Kento looked back behind the blanket.

"They're still removing the bandages now."

Kento's face almost turned green, Cye looked at him with worry.

"Kento…?"

"Um, it's nothing."

That's when Ryo poked his head up from behind the blanket, trying to seem okay.

"How are you holding up, Cye?"

"I've been better…"

"I'm sorry about this… We have to clean you up again, okay? It… might sting a little."

Kento reached out his hand, and Cye took it in his shaky own.

"Just squeeze my hand if it hurts, okay?"

"What if I hurt you?"

"You wont. I'm positive I can take it."

"O-okay… Go ahead, Ryo."

"Right. We promise to make this quick."

Ryo's head disappeared behind the blanket again, and Cye waited for the pain to come. Thought he thought he was ready for it, he wasn't. When Sage dabbed the antiseptic on one of his ankles, Cye nearly jumped out of his bed. Kento tore his eyes away from the sight and held his friend down. The pain came really bad at first, and then dulled, only to be replaced by a searing pain on another part of his leg. Cye squeezed Kento's hand so hard, he thought it could break, but Kento just barely squeezed back, to comfort him. Tears came to his eyes and flowed freely in streams down the water bearer's cheeks, but Kento had his hands full and couldn't wipe them away. He could just stand there and watch his friend suffer.

When the antiseptic came to his sensitive thighs, Cye couldn't hold back his screams any longer. One ripped through the air, and eve Rowen couldn't stand to look. He was tempted to cover his ears, but his hands were full holding the blanket up. Thankfully, the job was done quick, and when Ryo gave the signal, Rowen let the blanket down. Cye was near unconsciousness, and his grip was lessoning on Kento's hand. Once he was free, Kento stepped back as Ryo set Cye down and covered him up. The boy was sweating profusely, but was otherwise okay.

Once Cye was asleep, Rowen set a hand on Kento's shoulder and they turned the lights out. Kento left the room for the first time in three days. Not much later, Mia called, saying she was coming back.


	6. Chapter 6

Two weeks passed like a year to Cye, lying awake in his bed with no possible way of moving. His legs ached constantly, and they itched like nobody's business, but still, there was nothing he could do about it. Mia had come home shortly after the accident, first yelling about the mess the guys were cleaning up in the kitchen, but once she heard the whole story, she started to help looking after him. By now, the reconstruction should have been done, but Cye didn't think the guys would be letting him cook for a while.

It was determined that the spirit of the demon that had attacked made one last effort to get rid of them, and they hoped he never showed up again. Sighing, Cye turned his head to stare at a pair of crutches by his bed, leaning up against the wall. Mia had left them there just the day before, saying that he should tr walking again, but withsome supervision. But Nobody had come by his room in what felt like an hour, and he was getting restless. His legs were aching again, and he just couldn't stand it. It was almost like they were burning in theflames again. It was unbearable… So, he sat himself up, carefully, and pulled the blanket from his heated body and his bandaged legs and took the crutches. Getting up to rest on them proved far more difficult than he had anticipated, considering he'd had Kento or Sage's help before, and once he was up, he was hurting even more. There was only one place in the house that Cye wanted to go to feel better, and he was grateful that it was just down the hall. Taking a few deep breaths, he started the slow, painful walk out of his room.

As he walked down the hall, he looked into the rooms that belonged to his friends. Rowen was sleeping in his and Sage's room, but other than that, nobody was there. He half wondered if they were all downstairs, watching tv or eating. He was getting hungry, himself, but he wouldn't dare risk going down the stairs by himself. So, he sighed and continued on to is destination. He reached the bathroom without too much difficulty and closed the door softly behind him, taking a seat on the toilet. Once he put his crutches next to the tub, after letting the water start running, the ronin started to undress. Even the sound of the running water made his tired mind calmer, but that wasn't enough to ease his aching legs- he needed to get into it. He took his shirt off first, then carefully slid off his loose sweatpants, leaving his boxers on. He hesitated before removing the bandages, but it had to be done.

He still hadn't gotten over the sight of himself. His legs were still very red and swollen; skin was still peeling off from his burns, and several cuts still remained. Sage said he had been lucky. If he was any other person, he might have lost his legs, altogether. The thought made Cye shudder, and as he pushed it from his mind, he hauled himself up over the edge of the tub and slid down to sit in the rising water. Finally, the ache was fading, and he was a bit more comfortable. But, he knew he wouldn't be all better for quite a while.

The ronin warriors had taken quite a hit this time, and they nearly lost one of their own… Cye still couldn't believe it had all happened at all. It all seemed like some horror movie, complete with a vengeful ghost- which was now nowhere to be seen. Sighing, Cye laid back against the cool porcelain and thought about how stupid it all was. When they had been fighting that guy in his body, he'd pinned Cye to that tree, but while he could have done so many other things, he chose to keep him alive and conscious, to watch him torture his friends. He was helpless, and he hated that feeling, just like he hated being stuck in bed all day with a barely-functioning body. Staring down at his tired expression helped only to fuel his disgust and self-delusions, and he swatted at his reflection. Almost on cue, there was a knock at the door and Cye looked up to see Ryo looking down at him. Hadn't he closed and locked that thing?

"Ryo…"

"Hey, Cye. Is it hurting again?" Cye looked down at the water feeling like a child. But, Ryo, for one, didn't treat him like one, unlike the others- especially Kento. Instead, the ronin leader smiled at him and took a seat on the toilet.

"I…"

"You seem to be recovering quickly. You made it here without any of us noticing! Sneaky, sneaky, Cye!" He laughed a little. Cye had expected a lecture, but it never came. Ryo's calm attitude brought up a small smile to his face, and he nodded his head.

"It wasn't easy, but at least I didn't fall down this time."

"Yeah. That was a scary experience."

"Though, not as scary as the idea of having someone else BATHE you. I swear, I don't think I will ever get over that." He blushed.

"True, but Kento does it all the time for his siblings, so maybe it's not such an embarrassing thing, ne?"

"….Maybe not."The water bearer paused before looking up. "Have we been able to locate that evil ghost yet?"

"Mm… Sage is looking, but I'm hoping he's gone for good now."

"I don't know. He failed to get rid of us, and I don't think he'd be content with that."

"Good point." Cye looked up, then, and gave Ryo a worried expression.

"He's really got it in for us both, Ryo… please be careful."

Cye really was a caring guy. Even when he was hurt, himself, he always thought about his friends, too. He was great, and Ryo was happy to be surrounded by such caring people. He nodded his head and set a hand on Cye's arm, reassuringly.

"Thanks, Cye. I'll try to watch my back!"

"Good. I'll try my best to get back on my feet to help, too- literally. But in the meantime, mind helping me out?"

"Ha ha! Sure, Cye!" Ryo took hold of one of Cye's arms and easily pulled him out of the tub. Cye insisted upon drying himself, but Ryo stuck around to redress his wounds. The two then left the bathroom and Ryo made sure to be careful as he helped Cye down the steps and into the living room, where Kento was snacking on at least four different bags of chips at once. When he felt eyes on his back, he turned just in time to receive a disappointed look from Cye, and a somewhat disgusted look from Ryo. Blushing, Kento cleared the bags from the couch and laughed as Cye was ushered into the seat next to him.

"Honestly, Kento; I take a little break from cooking, and you completely veer off your diet!"

"Hey, what am I supposed to do? Put up with Rowen's cooking?"

"It's his turn to cook tonight? Aw, man… I hope he doesn't burn it all like last time!" Ryo said as he plopped down into an armchair.

"Hey, Cye, if you're feeling up to it, why don't you start cooking again?"

"Well, maybe I-"

One look to the kitchen door was enough to stop the ronin in mid-sentence. Somehow, even the thought of going back into the newly-restored kitchen terrified him. He was afraid… but why? It wasn't like he was gonna blow up again if he went in to cook a simple meal! …Right? It was then that he, and apparently the other two, realized just how traumatic the experience had been for Cye. It had been horrifying for them all, but Cye was the one who had nearly died, and carried the scars from it. Quickly, he turned his head away from the door, only to make himself feel dizzy. Kento saw this and pulled Cye's head to rest against his shoulder, and that's where he stayed for a while. None of them asked him to cook for a while after that.


End file.
